Friday, February 5, 2016

By: Joe SalinasBone Thugs-N-Harmony was just in town for their Texas Takeover Tour, if you missed it, I feel for ya. Not only did I go to the show, but I interviewed them. I’m not a writer, I’m not a blogger, I am a diehard Bone Thugs fan and well my sister Sarah did it again…

To set the table properly for this I have to start by pointing out something a lot of you already know. My sister BohoSarah lives her life with an energy and charisma that rubs off on you, makes you feel a bit stronger, it’s contagious.

Every once in a while her charisma means people invite her to do things like interview Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. And she calls you saying “Will you interview Bone Thugs for me?” seems legit, but it still took a full day to sink in that I would be in the same room with Bone Thugs. This is the group I listened to repeatedly starting in 1996, I was 14 and my sister had to convince my parents that a song about “glocks” and “bloody victims” was OK. I’ve never stopped listening to them and you can hear Bone Thugs in every hip hop song you listen to today. Hardcore rap with a melody, they were the first.

So here is my interview, it was surreal and incredible. I got to ask about Eazy-E and the beginning, where they are now and even got some advice for the Houston Texans...kind of. With some friendly jabber in between, these guys kicked back and had a great time with us. They even invited us back after the show; well maybe just my girlfriend but whatever. I didn't think it was possible to be a bigger fan and then I walked in a small smoky room and this happened.

Is it true you guys got your break by calling Eazy-E from a payphone and free styling into his voicemail?

Wish Bone: He actually was on the other end. Flesh-N-Bone: It was a friend’s phone, we called him up and we actually made several calls to his office and was able to get in contact with his secretary. She promised that she would get us in touch with him…she was a doll, she kept true to her word and when Eazy-E was back in the office she made his ass get on the phone and take our calls.

Did you guys just know “I gotta get this guy on the phone” or how did that relationship develop?

Flesh-N-Bone: Well we didn’t really know it was going to happen because we had dealt with people before that were like “ok we are gonna do this, we gonna do that”. We didn’t know Eazy-E was going to be the type of business man that seriously earned that shit. As a businessman he set himself apart from all the other cats that were full of shit.

What do you think Eazy-E on social media would be like? Wouldn’t that be something?

Bizzy Bone: Yes it would, his son looks just like him and is in the business, I think he would be running the company at this time. We retired at a successful era and just now decided to come back and do something together, but if he was here it would still be rock ‘n rolling and it would be crazier though because he was innovative. He was into video games before they came out; he was about blasé and beautiful stuff. Flesh-N-Bone: He would have millions of followers because he was he was a marketing genius and would have smashed social media. He already understood how to get to the masses and promote.

Did everyone have the same switch at the same time from doing an album like Faces of Death to coming out with “Crossroads” where you rap about praying every day?

Bizzy Bone: It was kind of the same concept whether you’re thinking about hell or thinking about heaven. You’re not afraid. So when we got to Eazy he knew how to organize it and put it together. Put it together for the masses and it became like a battle cry, like our warriors going to war overseas. They don’t have drums no more; we got that shit right here for you - Ipod.

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, yall should be in it.

Bizzy Bone: Thanks man, 4 more years, it’s the voting system however it goes. We’ll get more into it as it gets closer.

I know you guys are sports fans; you know what else we have in common? Both of our football teams suck. If you had first pick in the draft who would you take?

CrazyBone: ahhhh man .

A mobile quarterback?

Crazy Bone: A mobile quarterback.

My man, he just said Johnny Manziel.

Who would you say is responsible for putting Houston rap on the map? Flesh-N-Bone: J Prince. Bizzy Bone: Dayum! Flesh-N-Bone: That motherfucker’s the man.

*Joe Salinas is the brother of 3 of the sisters that make up the blog bohoBlack. He’s never met a stranger and appreciates the simple things in life like fishing, his family, the Texans, the Rockets and pre-2000 gangster rap. He works at ElasticSolutions selling software. He’s also been re-tweeted by Snoop Dog.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

I keep staring at this blank page wondering how I will start this. It's not easy talking about the things that have happened in my life this lovely (that was sarcastic) October 2015. All I keep thinking is that it could be worse.On September 30th I was going on 18 weeks of my 3rd pregnancy, almost 5 months. A handful of people knew, but we never really announced it, I think I always had a feeling with this one that something wasn't right. With that said, I was ready at that point to announce it to everyone. In fact, I had a picture ready to post of Grace and I at the beach in August when we were pregnant together. Sarah took it and wanted to post it right away, but I begged her not to, I regret that now. For me personally, I just wish everyone would have known because then it would have been easier to share in this loss.My sweet little girl, we've named her Sunny Grace, was not well. A blood test showed that there was a 95% chance she had Turner's Syndrome. You can read about it here. I read somewhere that 99% of Turner Syndrome pregnancies end in miscarriage or stillbirth. We found out she may have this when I was 18 weeks, so I truly believed she was that 1% and Daron and I were ready to take on the challenge. After a second blood test to prepare me for an amniocentesis, we had a hard time finding the heart beat, so the next day I dropped in to my doctors office for a quick scan. I thought nothing of it. Big Mar came with me and at the last second Daron felt the urge to come as well. I was telling him not to worry about coming, it was month-end and I just knew everything would be fine, but something in him said he needed to be there.This was my 2nd ultrasound, the last time we saw her she was just a little circle with a heartbeat. This was the first time we saw her entire little body, fingers, toes, arms, legs, spine, everything, except the flicker. There was no flicker.If you have seen an ultrasound before then you know their heartbeat is a flicker on the screen. When that Doppler is placed on your belly or your partners belly the first thing you look for is the flicker, so naturally my eyes were scanning the screen for her flicker. I kept looking and looking, but it just wasn't there. She was gone, resting peacefully in my womb. I wanted to keep her there forever, and in some way I know she always will be.The process after that happens so quickly and it sucks. 'Evacuating' your womb is an awful feeling. There is basically a 'confirmation' scan so you have to see her lifeless fetus again, which I really didn't mind because I just liked seeing her, but I know how painful it was for my mom and sister to see. I remember Sarah turning her head away. I know she was probably worried about me, but I realized as well that it must be so hard for her to see her niece that way.A day and a half later she was 'evacuated'. The pain medicine and the sedatives did not work on me; I was wide awake and felt it all and it hurt, both physically and mentally. The uterine contractions you feel after giving birth are tolerable because there is typically a newborn baby swaddled nicely in your arms. The uterine contractions after this procedure are painful. Painful reminders of your empty womb and empty arms.I want to be honest about this process because until it happened to us we really had no clue, which is crazy since it happens to 1 in 4 women.Being more knowledgeable about this is a good thing. Sure it can be uncomfortable to talk about, but if it helps us have more compassion, more understanding, more patience and love for a woman that might be dealing with this, or for her partner that is trying to be strong for the both of them, then it's totally worth it.In my particular situation Daron and I truly believe Sunny Grace was probably too sick to be here on Earth with us, she needed to go straight back to Heaven, and I find comfort in that. Still, I'll probably continue counting until my due date March 8th rolls around, and I think that's normal. I like to think I'll never forget her due date. I like to think I'll always be sad about her because I fear forgetting a child I never met. I read something the other day that said God would never fill that void in me, He just gives me the Grace to see it as a gift rather than a painful memory. I like that.During all of this, more than anything, I'm so thankful for my faith. Without my faith I don't know how I would be because one week after I lost Sunny Grace, my Grandma Grace passed away. Words cannot express how important this woman is to me and quite frankly I think I'm in denial about the fact that she is actually gone. In my mind God had the perfect reason for Grandma to finally go home and it was my baby. Nobody loved babies more than my Grandma Grace, nobody. The truth is I talk to her more now than I ever did and that makes me feel like she is still right here with me, nudging me along, sending me her strength.The same day my Grandma Grace went to Heaven to take care of my Sunny Grace, my best friend since college unexpectedly lost her 14 month old son Jaxon Ray. He and Donovan are just two weeks apart. This ripped my soul to the core. The thought of losing my Donovan physically hurts me, and the fact that my friend is facing, in my mind, the highest level of grief, rips my heart in a million little pieces.I chose to go to Dallas to be with my friend Meredith for her son's funeral instead of Utah for my Grandma's funeral. I know with all of my heart it is not only what my Grandma would have wanted me to do, but it 's also what she would have done too.The losses I've experienced this month have already changed me for the better. The ability to see the silver lining in all of this is God's Grace, something I pray for all the time. God has given me the opportunity to see how loving and supportive my friends and family are, even my co-workers, and for that I'm forever grateful. I've seen how Daron and I can come together and support each other, and I believe our relationship is stronger than it's ever been. I've learned every second I get with my children is a blessing from God. And the shining light through all of this is my rekindled friendship with Meredith as we help support each other through this difficult time together. Is it our faith God wants us to share with each other? I don't know, all I know is I have learned so much from her already. The way I think about it is, this journey has only just begun and it can only be taken one day at a time, sometimes one second at a time. Faith, family, and friendships are everything. Kiss your babies, visit your Grandparents, and be compassionate; you never know what someone might be going through.love, bohoBoolieDon't be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful. And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One. -Philippians 4:6-7

Sweet 'Sunray'

Clickherefor a beautiful prayer Meredith shared with me, if you are struggling I believe this will give you hope.

Friday, August 28, 2015

Since Baby Julia decided to hold off last weekend we decided to take the kids to Austin to stay with some of our most favorite people in the world, Bennett and his smokin' hot wife, Dacia aka Cha-Cha.

Their cozy A-Frame on Lake Austin has been our anniversary get-away for a while now. Located just minutes from downtown and S. Congress, this eclectic little casa is quiet, quaint, and so B-rowe. If you have ever been to Bennett's houses then you know what I mean....it's just laid back 70's cool, like him and his wife.

We've wanted to bring Driscoe for a while now, but subconsciously, since Donovan's arrival, I think we've set our drive time to one hour max.....

Need I say more?

Nonetheless, as parents often do, we forget those terrible car rides and sign up for another one just months later and 2 hours longer. And yes, if you are wondering, Donovan screamed for a full hour and 10 minutes, and we still had the best time ever. (I think it's time to turn his car seat around?)

We actually relaxed, something we never do! Bennett, Dacia, & Lily helped us with the kids, we went on the boat, had lunch on the water, even made it to dinner on Saturday night. I think we kept surprising ourselves on how, dare I say, easy it was?It helped that we were with a couple that shares 5 kids and loves being around our young babies to remember the toddler chaos they used to know all too well. I really think the hardest part was packing and unpacking, something we are getting down to a science.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Where has the time gone? How did this even happen? This has been the fastest year EVER and it's basically ripping my heart in two (slight drama). I hear mother's say it all the time, and we have all read it in every, "Listen-To-Me-I'm-An-Experienced-Mom" article out there, but it's true. It goes by fast. Really really fast.I will admit however, the first 3 months of Donovan's life were pretty long. He cried a lot, and so did I, but something happened and he just completely chilled out. He has been the sweetest, most happiest little chunker ever since and we are 100% obsessed.I'm not the only one obsessed with him either. I have truly never heard so many women say they want to eat my baby. And trust me, I get it. I stick his entire foot in my mouth often, even when it's dirty. He is just delicious. He is fat and milky white and full of rolls. Thankfully, he still has his rolls and he isn't walking, so who am I kidding, he is still a baby. Though the second those rolls go and he starts walking I may turn into an unstable lunatic, but until then.....Happy birthday Big Baby! Mommy loves you and will probably try to prevent you from walking and eat your feet until you are about 4 or 5, or until they start stinking.